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Latin

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Netón Vega seems to be suddenly everywhere nowadays, but he’s hardly an overnight success. Born in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, the 22-year-old artist is best known for co-writing countless hits, including Peso Pluma’s “Rubicon” and “La People.” After cementing himself as a go-to songwriter, Vega’s journey as a singer is just taking off — most recently, his reggaetón anthem “Loco” earned him his fourth top 10 entry on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart — and that’s exactly how he planned for it to be.

“Writing songs was the best first step because you start making points, and when you get hits from those songs you’re writing — well, that really gets your name out there,” Vega, this month’s Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise, explains. “Other artists start to know that you can write well and then eventually find out you can also sing. That opens doors for you. It’s what happened to me. The songs I wrote really took off. It was hit after hit, and everything after that just happened so fast.”

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Vega fell in love with music at a young age. By age 9, he was singing at school concerts and, five years later, he created his own band in Culiacán — where he grew up — with him as lead singer. What started off as a hobby quickly turned into a money-making business. The band was composed by fellow classmates and a neighbor who they recruited while eating burgers. “We were so busy playing at parties, it was crazy,” Vega remembers. “At the beginning, we actually didn’t know much to charge. We were getting like 500 to 1000 pesos per event, but we worked long hours and like five days a week. I would go to school defeated, but with money in my pocket.”

Like many kids who grow up in the state of Sinaloa, Vega listened to regional Mexican music, especially corridos, and then started writing his own. His parents — who encouraged Vega’s love for music — also consumed música Mexicana, but also the more traditional stuff, including norteña. “My parents were never opposed to me playing at events — sometimes they would go with me,” he says.

Two years ago, Vega met Jesús Josafat Chávez Angulo, who was part of the local music scene in Culiacán, and was the unofficial manager of a few groups in town. “It’s a small community and everyone knows everyone,” says Vega. “I was invited to his house and that’s where I met him. We got along really well and I started working with him.” Today, Chávez Angulo is Vega’s manager, and founder of Josa Records, the indie label home to Vega. “The support I needed then was being able to go record in a studio and be able to make music videos. It’s really what I needed to get my name out there.”

The opportunities started coming quickly through social media. People in Culiacán started discovering him, and one day, a friend and fellow musician told him that Peso Pluma wanted to record one of his songs. “I wrote ‘Rubicon’ and that was a before and after in my career,” he recalls. “I remember that person came up to me and told me that Hassan (Peso’s real name) liked the song, and wanted to record it. I was like, ‘Great, he can record it.’” The track peaked at No. 12 on Hot Latin Songs.

Vega’s big break as a singer came last year through a collaboration with Luis R Conriquez. The corridos bélicos pioneer reached out to Vega via Instagram. “He sent me a video saying he had a corrido, and he wanted to sing it with me. He came to Guadalajara and we recorded the song and video here.” The collaborative effort peaked at No. 2 on Hot Latin Songs in June, followed by “La Patrulla” with Peso, which also peaked at No. 2 on the tally in September.

Vega, who now spends most of his time in Guadalajara wrapped 2024 with the success of “Loco,” a reggaetón smash hit that showcased his versatility, and the rise of Mexican reggaetón. “I’m more comfortable maybe in Mexican music but I feel good in both genres. I don’t ever want to regret not doing a style. Having a song like ‘Loco,’ and for it to explode, it means a lot. People are discovering my music with this song. That’s always a good thing and I want to continue to do that with my music, without ever losing my essence, of course.”

Most recently, Vega released Mi Vida Mi Muerte, his debut album, which has further fueled his momentum. The set is stacked with heavy-hitters in the genre, including Óscar Maydon, Tito Double P and Gabito Ballesteros. In a nod to his growing popularity, Vega will headline the inaugural Michelada Fest in El Paso, Texas on May 3, along with Chino Pacas, marking his first U.S. performance.

Read more about our February Latin Artist on the Rise below.

Name: Luis Ernesto Vega Carvajal

Age: 22

Recommended Song: “I would actually want them to listen to my new album, from beginning to end. You can really get an idea of what type of artist I am and how much I enjoy making all kinds of music.”

Major Accomplishment: “Being nominated for Mexican music new artist and Mexican music collaboration of the year at Premio Lo Nuestro.”

What’s Next? “I really want to start performing in the U.S. I want to see how people will react to my songs.”

While the group waits to find out whether or not it will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Maná announced on Thursday (Feb. 27) a summer tour of festivals in Spain. The iconic Mexican band will visit six cities between June and July, where fans will be able to enjoy their […]

The 37th annual Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony, which aired Feb. 20, logged a record 543 million engagements across television, social, digital and ViX, according to TelevisaUnivision. The three-hour show (from 8-11 p.m. ET) reached 4.2 million total viewers across Univision, UniMás, and Galavisión, and delivered year-over-year audience growth among total viewers (+3% to 2.1 million).

Furthermore, this year’s Premio Lo Nuestro — hosted by Thalia, Laura Pausini and Alejandra Espinoza — was the No. 1 program on broadcast television in primetime with more adult (ages 18-34) viewers than the primetime line-ups on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and The CW. It also finished as the highest-rated program on all of television during the entire day with U.S. Hispanics across all key demographics, according to the Nielsen ratings report.

On social media, Premio Lo Nuestro logged 4.8 million total interactions across Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube combined, making it the No. 1 most social program of the entire day, regardless of language, for the 9th straight year.

With performances by Thalia, Natti Natasha, Xavi, Will Smith, Marc Anthony, among many others, the night also included a special tribute to the late Paquita la del Barrio, who died days before the awards show. La India, Alejandro Fernández and Manuel Alejandro all received special honors throughout the night.

Shakira was the top winner taking home six trophies, including album of the year for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran and pop female artist of the year. The Colombian star was closely followed by Carín León, who took home five awards, and Karol G and Camilo, each with four. See the complete list of winners here.

California rock band Incubus will be the headlining act at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2025 on Thursday night (Feb. 27). They will perform at the Quinta Vergara amphitheater, the festival’s venue in the coastal city of Viña del Mar, Chile.

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Incubus is scheduled to take the stage at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by The Cult. The Bradford, England-based band, featuring Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy, John Tempesta, Charlie Jones and Mike Mangan, is scheduled to perform around 11:15 p.m. ET, after Chilean comedian Juan Pablo Lopez.

Both rock bands will perform for the first time at the Chilean festival, which can be seen in the U.S. exclusively on Billboard.com and BillboardEspanol.com.

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Formed in 1991 in Calabasas, California, Incubus is an alternative rock band that combines elements of heavy metal, hip-hop, funk, and grunge. They have managed to place five singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Drive” (No. 9), “Megalomaniac” (No. 55), and “Wish You Were Here” (No. 60), as well as 11 albums on the Billboard 200. Among these, Light Grenades reached No. 1 on the chart, while Morning View and A Crow Left of the Murder… both reached No. 2. Comprising Brandon Boyd (vocals), Mike Einziger (guitar, piano, backing vocals), José Pasillas (drums), Chris Kilmore (keyboards), and Nicole Row (bass), the group has sold more than 23 million records worldwide.

On the other hand, The Cult, which formed in 1983, has established itself over four decades as a prominent representative of gothic post-punk. Their hits “Fire Woman” and “Edie (Ciao Baby)” reached No. 46 and No. 93 on the Hot 100, respectively. In 2022, they released their 11th album, Under the Midnight Sun, marking their return after a prolonged period without recording in the studio.

Viña will continue on Friday (February 28) with urban night, featuring Duki as the headliner, Eladio Carrión, and Kid Voodoo. On Saturday (March 1), the festival concludes with the Colombian group Morat followed by Sebastián Yatra. Both were originally scheduled for Tuesday (February 25), when the show was canceled due to a massive blackout in Chile.

All nights will be livestreamed in the United States on Billboard and Billboard Español. Performances can be viewed on the player in this story beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Grupo Firme canceled a performance at a carnival scheduled for this Saturday (March 1) in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, after a message on a banner with alleged death threats attributed to a drug cartel appeared in its hometown of Tijuana. The regional Mexican music band confirmed on Wednesday (Feb. 26) the suspension of its concert in an official statement.

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“We deeply regret informing you that the presentation of Grupo Firme for this March 1st at the Mazatlán Carnival is canceled,” reads the statement shared on the band’s Instagram Stories. “For Music VIP, the well-being of those who have accompanied us on this path — our family, which is you, our fans — is and will always be the most important thing. We hope to be able to meet again soon to sing, celebrate and continue making history together.”

The cancelation of the show — originally announced as part of the Carnaval de Mazatlán, which starts Thursday (Feb. 27) and lasts until March 4 — came after the discovery of an alleged narcomanta and a human head in a box on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in Tijuana. The fact was confirmed to Billboard Español by the Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office, which said that an investigation has already been opened.

Requests for comments sent by Billboard Español to Music VIP and a representative for Grupo Firme on Wednesday night weren’t answered at press time.

On Wednesday morning, the Sinaloa authorities had confirmed that the Mazatlán Carnival would go on without changes, after stating that there were security guarantees for Grupo Frontera and attendees. This announcement was made by the Secretary of the Government of Sinaloa, Feliciano Castro, at a press conference. But hours later, the band led by singer Eduin Caz announced what was imminent: The cancellation of their presentation at the event.

There, Grupo Firme was supposed to kick off the Mexican leg of its successful La Última Peda Tour, which included 14 dates in the country and two festivals in the U.S. The trek is produced by an alliance of promoters Music VIP, Music VIBE, Cohumanity and other companies.

The Mexican state of Sinaloa has seen over 800 homicides in the last five months, according to official figures reported by Spanish news agency EFE, since an internal struggle began last September between two factions of the cartel of the same name after the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of that criminal organization that now demands that the U.S. repatriate him to Mexico.

Grupo Firme now joins a series of regional Mexican acts that have received alleged threats from drug trafficking groups, forcing the cancellation of their performances in territories in conflict with criminal organizations. One of the most memorable cases is that of corridos superstar Peso Pluma, who had to cancel six shows, including a performance in Tijuana scheduled for October 2023, when alleged threats were issued against him by criminal groups.

After Viña del Mar postponed its Tuesday activities due to a massive blackout in Chile that left most of the country without power, the festival resumed on Wednesday (Feb. 26) with an electrifying performance by Carlos Vives. The Colombian superstar made his grand return to Viña — with his vibrant band La Provincia in tow — for a remarkable fifth time in his 30-year career, and seven years since his last performance there in 2018.

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Transporting the Quinta Vergara to his hometown of Santa Marta, Colombia, Vives took the stage shortly after 7:50 p.m. ET and kicked off with the vallenato anthem “Pa’ Mayte,” which of course got the entire audience on their feet. The accordion-powered track, one of Vives’ earliest hits, definitely set the tone for the rest of the set, with the Latin Grammy-winning artist winding through his most iconic songs, including “‘Ella Es Mi Fiesta,” “Fruta Fresca,” “La Gota Fría” and “La Tierra del Olvido.”

“Good night, Viña,” Vives greeted the crowd — most often referred to as the monster for their high standards for festival performers. Looking like a total rockstar and working the entire stage singing, dancing and playing the harmonica, the 63-year-old hitmaker was in awe of the crowd’s embrace. “Where are the people who are going to ride the bike with me tonight? Where are the cumbia dancers?” The bike referencing “La Bicicleta,” his song with Shakira, which he also performed tonight. For that specific song, he joined the crowd, at times dancing alongside fans.

One of the most special moments of the night was when Vives returned to the crowd area to serenade his wife Claudia Elena Vásquez with “Volví a Nacer,” his performance sealed with a passionate kiss. “I want to share with you something very special, this song was composed during a difficult moment of my life,” he prefaced the song. “We all spend difficult nights, but we know that the next day the sun rises. I composed this song for a person at a very special moment and from this song things changed in my life, and I want to dedicate it to everyone because I know that at some point we will all be born again.”

“Thank you Chile, thank you Latin America for these 30 years,” Vives said before the crowd awarded him the Gaviota de Plata. Shortly after, former Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo handed the singer his very own national team jersey — a special gift for the self-proclaimed soccer fan.

In another emotional moment, Vives remembered his compadre Egidio Cuadrado, wishing him a heavenly birthday. His longtime accordionist, who would have turned 72 today, died in October. He went on to sing “Carito,” which they wrote together. During that performance, a little girl dressed in a gorgeous dressed with the colors of the Colombian flag took the stage with Vives and showed off her dance moves, immediately stealing the spotlight.

Right after receiving the Gaviota de Oro, Vives brought out fellow colombiano Sebastián Yatra to sing “Robarte Un Beso.” Yatra returns to the amphitheater on Saturday (March 1) for his own set. Vives closed his riveting set with “Cuando Nos Volvamos a Encontrar.”

“Thank you, Viña,” he expressed before leaving the Quinta Vergara stage.

Later tonight, Mexican music star Carín León will close day three of the festival.

On Thursday (Feb. 27), Viña will continue with Incubus, Juan Carlos López and The Cult; Feb. 28, urban night, with headliner Duki, Eladio Carrión and Kid Voodoo; and, rescheduled from Tuesday night, on March 1 Colombia’s Morat and Sebastián Yatra will close out this year’s edition of Viña del Mar.

Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.

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Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes a wave of emerging artists, who we discovered either by networking or coming across their music at a showcase, or elsewhere. See our recommendations this month below:

Artist: Brayhan Rosales

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Country: Venezuela

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: At 24, Brayhan Rosales has been paving his own way in his native Venezuela, where in 2024 he received the Excelsior Award for best new male singer of the year. With a pleasantly sweet, melodious voice, and clean and romantic lyrics, the artist born in Boconó, in the western state of Trujillo, has released singles including “Indecente” and “Casualidad,” in which he fuses regional Mexican music with urban rhythms. It is an unusual but refreshing proposition for a Venezuelan artist.

“Since I was a child, I really like ranchera, regional Mexican music, and since I started singing I always had the dream of one day singing accompanied by mariachis,” Rosales tells Billboard Español. “One day I wrote a song with the idea of ​​trying to make ranchera arrangements and I liked it so much that I decided to do it again and my community really liked the proposal.” Without any type of investment in his project at the moment, he hopes to be able to release new music soon. I really hope he does. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Song For Your Playlist: “Casualidad”

Artist: De La Rose

Country: Puerto Rico

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: After uploading freestyle and cover videos on social media, De La Rose dropped her debut single “Harley” in 2021, while also introducing Latin urban music’s next promising act. The artist born Yuberkis Gabriela Marie de la Rosa Bryan, from Puerto Rico, has gained traction with her provocative bilingual lyrics backed by her sugary, high-pitched vocals — while her sensuality navigates genres like reggaetón, trap and R&B. As of 2023, De La Rose has stacked up key collaborations, which include Jhayco (“3D”), Quevedo (“Amaneció”), Sech (“Gym Girl”), and Myke Towers (“Móntate Baby”), but it was the viral “Qué Vas Hacer Hoy” with Omar Courtz (2024) that ultimately made put her on the map. — JESSICA ROIZ

Song For Your Playlist: “Palgo”

Artist: Whatuprg

Country: U.S.

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Hailing from the Atlanta area, Whatuprg is ascending as a compelling voice to watch — especially in the hip-hop and Mexican music fields. Making a bold leap with his latest track, “Z99,” where he veers into the domain of corridos for the first time. The song, released last Friday (Feb. 21) via Reach Records, showcases raw storytelling over gripping horns and acoustic guitar interplay. “I never give up since I found the way, if He fights my battles, there’s no reason to fear,” he belts out in Spanish with a gut-wrenching conviction.

Featured on SoundCloud’s Fresh Latin Music playlist this week and tagged under Christian & gospel, the single channels the Mexican-American’s distinctive flow and marks an adventurous new chapter in his career. Already known for his two rap-centric EPs (2018’s Pleasant Hill, 2019’s Raul) and one full-length (2022’s New Hollywood), Whatuprg continues to evolve artistically, making this a track you’ll want to keep on your radar. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Song For Your Playlist: “Z99”

This article was created in paid partnership with Victoria Beer.
Carlos Vives and Carín León will perform on day four of the 2025 Viña del Mar International Song Festival, taking place Wednesday night (Feb. 26) at the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater in the coastal city of Viña del Mar in Chile. Both artists will play approximately one-hour shows as part of the week-long festival which kicked off on Sunday, February 23.

Headliner Vives is slated to take the stage at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by a performance by León scheduled for around 11:15 p.m. ET, after a set by comedian Edo Caroe.

León’s performance is presented by Victoria Beer. Victoria Beer and Carin León share pride for their Mexican heritage. Victoria Beer is considered Mexico’s oldest beer brand, with a unique history beginning in Toluca. By continuing their partnership with León, the ultra-premium beer gives back to fans and celebrates the impact of Música Mexicana.

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The performances by Vives and León are part of the six-day lineup of the 64th annual Viña del Mar broadcast, which year after year is Chile’s highest rated television show. Each night features a headliner, a supporting artist, a comedian and an international song festival in folk and pop categories, where contestants compete every night for a winner in each.

Vives returns to Viña for a remarkable fifth time in his career, which spans dozens of hits that have played across the continent. He has placed 30 songs in the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, five of those reaching No. 1: “Fruta Fresca” (1999), “Déjame Entrar” (2001), “Luna Nueva” (2002), “Como Tú” (2004), and “Volví a Nacer (2012). His albums Déjame Entrar (2001), Corazón Profundo (2013), and Más + Corazón: Profundo Tour (2015) have topped the Top Latin Albums chart. Vives was also named the 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person Of The Year. Vives will perform with his full band, La Provincia, and also announced the launch of his Latin American tour this year.

Meanwhile, León will make his Viña del Mar debut, also performing with his full band from Hermosillo, Mexico. León has six No. 1 hits on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart with three of those entering the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2023: “Que Vuelvas” with Grupo Frontera, “Primera Cita,” and the Maluma-assisted “Según Quién.” The artist is taking the Viña stage just days after being one of the top winners at the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro, where he nabbed five awards.

Vives and León are friends and recently released a collaboration, “La Chancleta,” also featuring Chimbala.

Viña will continue Thursday (Feb. 27) with performances by headliner Incubus and The Cult and wrapping on Friday (Feb. 28) with an urban night featuring headliner Duki, Eladio Carrión and Kid Voodoo. Marc Anthony, Bacilos, Myriam Hernández and Ha*Ash already performed earlier in the week, with Hernandez, a Chilean icon, receiving a platinum gaviota, the highest possible honor to be granted in Viña. Tuesday night’s performance, featuring Morat and Sebastian Yatra, was rescheduled for Saturday after a nationwide power outage.

All nights will be livestreamed in the United States on Billboard and Billboard Español. Performances can be viewed on the player in this story beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET.

21+. Todo con medida. Victoria® Beer. Importada por Crown Imports, Chicago.

Michael Mejía, the winner of a Lamborghini in a giveaway by Shakira, has decided to sell the coveted custom car.
The Colombian-American artist, based in New York City, won the vehicle in December after entering a competition organized by Shakira coinciding with the release of her song “Soltera.” Participants had to create a social media video, and Mejía’s winning TikTok entry featured his illustrations of Shakira mixed with scenes from his life, which was revealed on Univision’s Despierta América.

While snagging the 2022 purple Lamborghini Urus — valued at $280,000 — was a dream come true, the reality of maintaining such a luxury vehicle soon hit home. Mejía received the car just last week and shared his struggles with the ongoing costs. “Not only did she gift me a car, but she also gave me money to maintain it, $90,000!” he explained in an interview on El Gordo y La Flaca. “However, that $90,000 was only enough to cover very little.”

“So far, all the taxes for transferring the car, legal matters and insurance for six months have been paid. And now the federal taxes are due at the end of the year, and yes, that will be about $95,000,” he continued, detailing the financial struggle. “The insurance for the car costs more than $2,000 a month, and that’s just the way it is. So, with the money she gave me, the car is maintainable for a while, but it’s always quite expensive to keep it.”

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Mejía also mentioned that it costs $70 to fill up every two days.

The winner claims he has received offers to sell the car in parts, such as the rearview mirror, the tires and the steering wheel. “Someone offered roughly between $700,000 and $800,000. Can you believe it? That is wonderful. I think it’s anyone’s dream to have their million. A million and one dollar, I’ll be happy,” he added with a chuckle.

Additionally, the show’s host disclosed that Mejía is penning a book about his experience of winning the prize. He also discovered a jacket in the car, purportedly belonging to Shakira, and is exploring the possibility of auctioning it off.

Watch the full interview (which is in Spanish) below.

It’s a Thursday afternoon at a studio in Miami, and Emilia is getting glammed up for a Billboard Español cover shoot. She’s wearing a baby-pink silky robe and striped slippers, and her equally silky, chocolatey brown hair is picked up in rollers as she navigates through her playlist for the perfect song to get ready. She skips through female anthems by Beyoncé, Shakira, Britney Spears, Nathy Peluso and Doechii before selecting Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music.” She sings along and dances to the beat slightly, not to mess up her wavy bucles and makeup.

“Before, to give myself confidence when I went on stage, I would tell myself: ‘You are Rihanna! You are Rihanna!’ But someone on my team recently told me: ‘Now you have to say to yourself, ‘You are Emilia! You are Emilia!’ And believe it,” she gushes. 

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She is Emilia. And she’s on the verge of a global musical breakthrough as she prepares a 2025 tour across Spain, plans her first U.S. concerts in the U.S., and just recently made her debut at Brazil’s Carnival this past weekend.

In 2024, the Argentine artist earned her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard U.S. Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts with “Perdonarte ¿Para Qué?,” her collaboration with Los Ángeles Azules; she became the first Argentine act to be nominated for best pop vocal album at the Latin Grammy Awards with her sophomore set, .mp3; she was TikTok’s most-viewed and Spotify’s most-streamed artist in Argentina (the first female artist to do so); she sold out 10 shows at Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires in 10 hours — breaking the record previously held by Luis Miguel — and became the first Argentine female artist with four sold-out shows at the city’s Estadio Vélez, to name a few milestones.

Now, Emilia is making a serious bid for international expansion in 2025 that includes her first time at Brazil’s Carnival, where on Feb. 23 she performed “Bunda” with Luísa Sonza, her first track from an upcoming EP; a spring tour across Spain with three dates at Madrid’s Movistar Arena (formerly WiZink Center); and spending more time in Miami not only to be closer to her label, Sony Music Latin, and manager Walter Kolm, but to connect with artists and producers from different territories and develop her career further — a tried-and-true strategy that others have taken before her, including Karol G and Manuel Turizo.

“In Argentina, there are producers that I continue to work with and who are friends. I have everything there; it’s everything for me,” she says. “But I made the decision to come to Miami for a while to work and try new opportunities. I’ll always be returning home anyway. I can’t let that go. But I think what happens at the industry level here in Miami is very big. You come across new artists and producers all the time. And it’s good to experiment.”

Natalia Aguilera

Leaving the comfort of a home territory that sees you as a superstar has long been a challenge for Latin American artists. But thanks to an open-minded attitude, today, Emilia has positioned herself as a versatile pop act who can easily navigate from reggaetón to romantic ballads to cumbia to Brazilian funk and, most recently, vallenato alongside Silvestre Dangond on “Vestido Rojo.” 

“She understood that she had to have her base in her home country first. She had to break into her country in every sense, in consumption, transcend that consumption in ticket sales, media visibility, visibility with brands,” says Esteban Geller, GM at Sony Music U.S. Latin. “First, she conquered her country, then the neighboring countries like Chile and Uruguay, and little by little setting foot in territories like Spain, Mexico and Colombia, while simultaneously building her story in the United States. She understood perfectly what her space was in the music scene and that what she did with Los Ángeles Azules and with Silvestre brought her closer to a more commercial space, which is also fantastic. The path has been natural.” 

Emilia is already dolled up in a Y2K-inspired outfit for the photo shoot: denim mini skirt, bubblegum-pink zip-up hoodie, glitter stilettos and a fur cap that easily gives off Baby Phat clothing vibes. On her bottom eyelashes is a set of shining diamonds — eye accessories that are signature to her look. Doja Cat’s “Wet Vagina,” from her female-heavy playlist, plays in the background as she flirts with the camera with pure confidence and sensuality — something she’s worked on over time, striking that balance between sexy ingenue and likeable girl next door.

“I was always very outgoing, but I feel that today, I feel more confident with myself than ever. That took time, effort and therapy,” she says.

María Emilia Mernes Rueda, 28, was born in Nogoyá, Entre Ríos, a farming town about a five-hour drive from Buenos Aires. She’s the only child to a baker father and a cook mother. Her grandfather, a plumber but also the only musical reference in her family, gifted her a guitar when she was young so she could start taking music lessons. Growing up, her love for music expanded to uploading covers on Instagram and forming part of a local cumbia group with friends. It was a passion she never believed could go beyond a hobby. 

“I thought that dreaming of being an artist, of stepping on stage and being in that world, was impossible. Super far away,” she says. “I never thought I would be able to become a professional in this and be a singer. I saw it as impossible because of where I was from. The opportunities are usually in Buenos Aires, where the casting and music producers are.”

Natalia Aguilera

But her life took a radical turn when the videos of herself playing the guitar and singing covers on social media caught the attention of Uruguayan band Rombai. At the time, the cumbia-pop group gained popularity in South America and was in search of a new female vocalist. Emilia’s first time onstage with the group was in November 2016, when she performed for 12,000 fans at the Velódromo in Uruguay. Three months later, she was performing at Chile’s coveted Viña del Mar Festival and won a Gaviota Award — an experience she describes as a “great opportunity” and “a trampoline” in her career. “The real challenge,” she says, came two years later when she decided to go solo.

In 2019, Emilia signed a record deal with Sony Music Latin and a management deal with Kolm (her former manager with Rombai), becoming the first female artist to sign with Kolm, who also manages Carlos Vives, Maluma, Wisin and Xavi. 

“When she told me she wanted to go solo and make the music she liked the most, I saw her with such determination that I decided to be by her side,” Kolm says. “She is very charismatic and has her own initiative.”

Excited for what the future holds, he adds: “She moved to Miami to direct her career from the USA. Emilia has all the potential to be a global artist. She always knew where she wanted to go. This is just the beginning of a career that will be huge.”

Shortly after her debut solo single, “Recalienta,” co-written with Camilo and Fariana, Emilia earned her first entry on a Billboard chart with her Darell collaboration “No Soy Yo,” which debuted and peaked at No. 38 on Latin Pop Airplay in February 2020. She also scored chart entries with “La_Original.mp3,” with Tini; “Tu Recuerdo,” with Wisin and Lyanno; and “Como Si No Importara,” with Duki. 

The lattermost song — about a secretive and daring relationship on which her rapper boyfriend Duki’s chanteos lace with Emilia’s dulcet vocals — gave the artist her first entry on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart in August 2021. The downtempo sultry reggaetón song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 in 2021. Emilia then released “Esto Recién Empieza,” which reached a No. 9 high on the Argentina Hot 100 in March 2022.

Natalia Aguilera

At that point, Emilia and Duki had been dating for a year; the couple made their relationship public at the 2022 Premio Lo Nuestro, where they performed “Como Si No Importara.” The collaborations have boosted both artists. Duki is a trap star, so Emilia has helped broaden his appeal to tweens. Emilia is very much a pop star, and dating Duki has given her street cred. 

“We may seem different from the outside, but we are actually very similar, and we have almost everything in common. The only thing we don’t have in common is that I like sushi and he doesn’t,” Emilia says with a laugh as she opens up about her boyfriend with face tattoos. “But in general, we share everything, and we have a very nice relationship. We give each other feedback all the time. I love listening to him talk, to get advice from him. Beyond being an incredible artist, he’s a very intelligent, very cultured person. Sometimes he comes into the studio with me and we write together. We’re very passionate about the same thing and it’s beautiful to be able to share it without egos, without selfishness. It’s very genuine, and in a very healthy way.”

Despite Emilia’s celebrity in Argentina and her increasing presence abroad, it wasn’t until last year that the catchy cumbia “Perdonarte Para Qué?” with Los Ángeles Azules gave Emilia her first No. 1 on the Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts. It was a full-circle moment for the once teen girl who had a cumbia band back home.

“From the first time I heard it, I said, ‘100% yes!’” she exclaims. “I remember that it didn’t take me even two days to get into the studio and record it. I was so excited that they wanted to make a song with me, that they had taken me into account, being such legendary artists of Mexican culture and the world.” 

Elías Mejía Avante, founding member of the Mexican group, says: “We are happy, but above all grateful to be part of this great musical milestone for her. It will always be an honor to be able to merge the talent of Mexico and Argentina, seeking to infect as many hearts as possible with our cumbia. We feel that therein lies the magic, in bringing joy and authenticity with music from the hand of one of the greats of Latin pop music today.”

Natalia Aguilera

Meanwhile, in her native country, Emilia’s a force to be reckoned with.

She’s placed 39 entries on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart, 20 of those in the top 10 and five hitting No. 1. Her longest-leading hit to date, “Una Foto (Remix)” with Mesita, Nicki Nicole and Tiago PZK, ruled for 10 weeks in 2024 — the third-most behind Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (16 weeks atop the chart) and Valentino Merlo and The La Planta’s “Hoy” (11 weeks). Emilia has released two studio albums: the ultra-personal Tú Crees en Mí? (2022) and her early-2000s nostalgic set, .mp3 (2023). The latter was Spotify’s second most-streamed album of 2024 in Argentina, following Luck Ra’s Que Nos Falte Todo.

That success on the charts translated to ticket sales.

In April 2024, she kicked off her .mp3 tour with a historic 10-night stint at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires between April and May, later adding four shows at Vélez Sarsfield Stadium in October. 

“With artists in development, we’ve had extraordinary success with Emilia and her 10 arena [shows], where she played to over 290,000 people,” Marcelo Figoli, founder and owner of Fenix Entertainment, who produced the shows, previously told Billboard, confident that Emilia “is going to be a big deal in 2025.”

“I underestimated it. I usually set my expectations low, so I don’t disappoint myself,” Emilia admits. “We came out with the ticket sales, and I hadn’t done any shows for my album [.mp3]. We came out with the album in November and at the beginning of December the tickets were sold out. I remember that my team had said that we were going to book 10 Movistar Arena shows because that was the idea. And I was like, ‘I would love it, obviously, a residency at the Movistar Arena, but I see it as difficult.’ I felt like we were going to sell three, four at most, but suddenly it was 10 in 10 hours.”

“The live show is the other big leg of this industry,” Geller adds. “She’s an artist who not only works in one vertical of the business, but also has visibility in the fashion, brand and music sectors and has transcended into selling tickets, which is the best thing. She is already proving it with shows. The success she had in Argentina, the huge success she is having in Spain, that is happening because music is starting to transcend to other spaces, which will surely lead her to a long career. That’s the faithful conclusion that we are on the right track.” 

The shows were also a test of resilience in other areas. 

“I was rehearsing for the Movistar shows and my dad got cancer… Of the most important things in my life, the two came together and it was very emotional for me, but I was able to handle both,” she says. “Today I have my dad with me, and he can see everything I’m doing. I learned to know myself a little better. What my limits are. To make mistakes and not be so cruel to myself. To value the real people I have in my life… that family is the most important thing. I learned that I love to work and that I must enjoy the moment and not live so much in the future.”

Natalia Aguilera

But living in the future is inevitable for someone on Emilia’s path. 

She’s preparing for her 2025 concerts in Europe and Latin America by working out five to six days a week, something she never did before, but is essential for next-level shows.

“The show requires a lot of cardio. You have to sing and dance, you need a good diaphragm, lungs with air, endurance. I hated training! I wouldn’t touch a weight for nothing!” she says, giggling. “But if I hadn’t trained, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Exercise has become something important for me and it does me good. I feel strong and confident.”

Emilia is now in her second outfit for the photo shoot and looks like a glistening goddess dressed in baggy jeans with gold glitter, a gold bustier and matching gold heels, posing for a second round of photos as a fan blows her wavy locks and her entourage hypes her up. This time, she’s serving sultry looks to Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills.” In the far corner, her mother, Gabriela Rueda, gets emotional as she sees her daughter in action, and with tears rolling down her cheeks, she softly tells me she remembers doing photo shoots for Emilia in the living room and her father holding the fan to blow her hair. 

“I love to show the ‘Emilia Pop Star’ and get into character,” Emilia says with a smile. “I grew up watching pop divas who do that onstage and it’s like playing for a while for me. But I’m also the Emilia who comes from Nogoyá, who gets together to drink mate with friends, who has problems like everyone else, who cries because I’m very sensitive. I’ve always been firm. I’m very positive too. I’ve always had a very objective and optimistic character and personality. I think that’s what also helped me to be where I am today and achieve everything I’ve achieved.”